Capsule-joining machine



Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

T. O. MERZ.

CAPSULE JOINING MAGHINE.

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NITED STATES THEODORE C. MERZ, O

CAPSULE-JQIN SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters P F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ING MACHINE.

atent No. 326,578, dated September 22, 1885.

Application filed Juno 1, 1885. (No model.)

of Gelatine Capsules; and Ido declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention relates to the means employed for joining together the parts of a gelatine capsuleviz., its cap and body; and myinvention consists in the novel means employed, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is an isometrical view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section in elevation. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the joining-plates on dotted line of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a face view of the joining-plates.

This machine consists of the base or table A, to which I attach firmly two upright supports, B, provided with a groove or recess, h. I locate in said grooves a spring, (I. WVithin the grooves h, Iins'ert. freely the plates 0 O. The plate 0 is provided with a series of holes, a, sufficiently large and long enough to receive readily the capsule body or bodies 6. (See Fig. 2.) The plate 0 has also a corresponding number of holes, 17, of a larger diameter than the holes a of plate 0. The holeszare adapted to receive and hold the caps O of the capsules. (See Fig. 2.)

Passing horizontally through the uprights B is a supporting-bar, E, provided with heads L. Said bars are secured firmly to the uprights B,passing through thesliding or reciprocating sides D D. slightly above the face of the base A,as shown in Fig. 2. Attached to the sides are metal braces 12, which are bent outward, and through said braces I pass the rods E. By this arrangement the sides are held in a vertical position and prevented from tipping as said sides are forced toward and from each other, as

The lower edges of the sides are I I hereinafter set forth. Passing through the side D is aseries of pins, 0, having their outer ends slightly enlarged. Said pins are fitted l loosely within said plates. Their free ends are concaved at V. (See Fig. 2.) I attach to the outer face of said side a series of bowsprings, s. The ends of said springs press upon the heads of the pins 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thepins c are made suffijoinin'g-plate O, and are made to register with i said holes. The side D is also provided with pins 0 like those of plate D, except said pins 1 are firmly attached to the plate and are made to register with the holes t of plate 0. The plates 0 G are each provided with a lockingpin, h, and hole, IL2 for securing said parts together, in the manner and for the purposes hereinafter set forth. The sides of the machine are provided with handles The operations of the machine are as follows: The sides D D are grasped by the handles g and moved back to the position of Figs. 1 and 2. The plate 0, containing the I capsule-bodies within the holes a, and plate 0, containing caps of the capsules in the holes t, (said parts of capsules being placed therein by suitable means) are joined with their faces against each other, the sides joining having the open ends of the parts of the capsules, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. As said plates meet the pin h of each plate enters the hole h of the other plate, thereby locking said plates together. (See Fig. 3. The pins h and holes h are so arranged that when locked the peripheries of the capsulebodies are brought within the peripheries of the caps of said capsules, also bringing the open end of the caps 0 against the face of the plate 0, containing the capsule-bodies, as

clearly shown in Fig. 2. The joined plates 0 I O are then placed within the recesses h of the l supports 13, the springs d pressing said plates together. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 3.) The side D is advanced toward the plate 0, causing the series of pins 0 to enter the series of holes z'and press upon the caps 0. (See Fig. 2.) The side D is then advanced toward the plate C, causing the pins 0 to enter the holes a of said plate, coming in contact with the closed end of the capsule-bodies e, and as said plate is advanced, the capsule-bodies e are forced forward, entering the open ends of the caps, thus joining the parts of a capsule or capsules. When said parts are properly j oined,the side 5 D is released,

causing the side D joined capsules are when the sideD is advanced, to move back and'the forced out through the plate 0, as clearly shown at bottom of Fig. 2.

The capsules falling through the opening H 10 are gathered in a box or like receptacle. WVhen the capsules have been discharged, the side D is drawn back to former position ready to repeat the operation.

In the joining of the parts of a capsule is should a body, 0, get caught while entering the cap (),the

spring Awill yield or be forced back,as shown in dotted lines of Fig. 2,thereby allowing the rest of the capsules to be tine capsules, 0, each plate the combination of the plates 0 having a series of holes for receiviug the parts of capsules, and means for locking said plates together face to face, whereby the open ends of the caps O are brought against the face of the plate 0, containing the capsule-bodies e, as specified, and a series of pins or plungers attached to the sides D D and adapted to enter the holes of the platesto join and discharge said capsules, substantially as specified.

2. In a device for joining the parts of gelatine capsules, the combination of the base provided with uprights having springs (1, adapted to press together the plates 0 C, the rods anchored to said uprights, said rods supporting the sides D D, the side D supporting a series of pins,'c adapted to enter the holes 43 of plate 0, the side D having a series of pins,c,adapted to enter the holes a of plate 0, and the series of springs s, engaging with the ends of the pins 0, said sides adapted to be advanced toward and from each other, as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. IHEODORE G. MERZ.

Witnesses:

R. B. WHEELER, WM. H. DOYLE. 

